Page 27 of Devious Kingpin
CHAPTER13
Juliette
Apulsing ache pounded in my temples.
I felt like I had been run over. By a tractor trailer. I shifted to my side and let out a groan as a wave of nausea hit. It felt like a hot flash, building and building until I could feel it in my throat.
Throwing the covers off me, I stumbled out of the bed and face-planted.
“Dear God,” I mumbled, crawling on my hands and knees toward the bathroom, squinting. What did I drink last night? Did someone drug me? I couldn’t remember much of anything aside from going out to dance with the girls.
I barely made it to the toilet, retching shit I didn’t remember eating into the toilet. Disgusting noises vibrated through the bathroom, bouncing off the tile and I swore at that very moment I’d never drink alcohol again.
Never.I retched.Never again.
Alcohol was banned forever. No longer part of my vocabulary.
Leaning my forehead on my forearm, I inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled. I repeated it again. Feeling somewhat better, I rose to my feet and padded to the sink, the tile cool against my feet. I brushed my teeth, erasing the horrific taste from my mouth.
Once done, I decided to take a shower. Maybe it’d wash off some of this hangover. Keeping the temperature on the cool side, I tilted my face up at the showerhead and let the water fall down my body.
Once I lathered my hair with the lilac shampoo and finished washing off, I stepped out of the shower already feeling better. I dried myself, then wrapped a towel around me.
The corner of my eye caught a sparkle in the mirror. What the—
My eyes lowered to the hand where a large solitaire diamond sat. In a daze, I brought my hand up to my face, almost expecting the ring to disappear.
Nope, still there.
The enormous diamond stared back at me, refusing to budge. I blinked, faster and faster. Maybe I was seeing things. I touched it. It felt real. Oh. My. God.
My breathing picked up. My pulse raced into marathon mode. My knees weakened.
What happened last night, I thought again.
I braced myself on the counter with my free hand. I had to find Wynter. Or Davina. Actually, it might be wiser to search for Ivy. There’d be no judgment there.
God, please don’t let me be married.Anything, literally anything but that. I couldn’t be married.Please, please, please.
Frustration clawed at my chest. At myself. At my stupidity. I’d always been on the wilder side compared to Wynter, but never reckless. Okay, maybe occasionally reckless. But not like this. I couldn’t remember jack shit.
Attempting to recall what happened last night, the pulsing ache against my temples increased tenfold. I’d ask my friends. They wouldn’t have left me. They’d know for sure.
I rushed into the bedroom to find something to wear when I came to a sudden stop. A man sat at the edge of my bed with a cup of coffee.
Dante DiLustro.
Of all the men in the world, he was the last one I wanted to see right now. I needed a special kind of pill to deal with him.
“Hello, my wildling,” he greeted me. My eyes narrowed on him suspiciously. I fucking hated that nickname, but there was one thing I’d learned about Dante. The more you fought him on something, the more insistent he was on doing exactly that which irritated. “Cappuccino for you. I figured you’d need it.”
Dante DiLustro was the biggest pain in my ass to ever walk this earth. Expensive Italian suit. Sharp lines. Charisma. And that grin. That fucking grin that got on my fucking nerves because it got me so damn wet.
“What are you doing in my room?” I snapped, glaring at him. “I don’t have time for you and your bullshit today! Get the fuck out!”
His free hand came to his heart. “What? No time for your husband?”
I froze. His left hand tapped against his muscled thigh.Tap. Tap. Tap. My eyes lowered to his and my lungs tightened. I swore something or someone gripped them, taking all the air from them so I’d suffocate. Dante had a wedding ring on.
